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TEL SOXO. 



TEL SONO 



THE JAPANESE REFORMER 



AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY 



NEW YORK 
PRINTED BY HUNT & EATON 

1890 



INTRODUCTION. 



To write the introduction to this autobiography is 
indeed a pleasure and privilege. Though not a year 
has passed since Miss Tel Sono and I first met, we 
have learned " to know each other's hearts," as she so 
sweetly expresses it, and to enter into each other's 
hopes. 

God's hand in the history of nations is oftentimes 
traced ; his hand in the history of a life is here as 
easily traced. The groping of a heathen mind after 
the true God through long, weary years, until the glad 
finding day, is here shown. The picture of a re- 
markable career crowded with worthy deeds, and yet 
but the shadow of one more sublime toward which it 
looks, is here drawn. And a purpose high, noble, and 
Christ-like is here found. 

From the " Land of the Eising Sun " Tel Sono 
came to where the beams of the Sun of Righteous- 
ness could find their w T ay into the misty darkness of 
her heart and dispel the gloom. "With a woman's 
heart she felt for woman's woe, and came with a 
woman's fixedness of purpose, determined, at what- 
ever cost, to alleviate that woe. Home and honor 
she left to dwell alone in a strange land and fill the 



6 Introduction. 

lowliest place, that thus she might the more effectu- 
ally work for the accomplishment of that purpose. 
Such a spirit God himself honored by coming in to 
quicken, energize, and vivify. And now, the eternal 
Light filling all her soul, she will return to be a 
mighty power in dispelling Japan's night, and mak- 
ing that fair country in very truth a land of the ris- 
ing sun — the rising, triumphant, all-conquering Sun 
of Righteousness. 

All cannot share in what has made my life richer 
and stronger — the friendship of this heroic, noble 
woman and the inspiration of her simple, unfaltering 
faith ; but all can breathe something of the freshness 
and vigor and spirit of her presence by the reading of 
this story of her life. Hester Alway. 



CONTENTS, 



CHAPTER I. 
Parentage — Studies— Thoughts of God — "Tesa" Page 9 

CHAPTER II. 
Father's Sickness — A Prayer 17 

CHAPTER III. 
Marriage — A Rebellion — Return to Father's House 21 

CHAPTER IY. 
Practicing Law — Disastrous Fires — Father's Death 24 

CHAPTER Y. 

A New- Year's Dinner— The Young Man's Story — Its Se- 
quel — The Deserted Wife 28 

CHAPTER VI 
Arrival in America — First Experiences 37 

CHAPTER YII. 

Three Days at Public School — Young Ladies' School 
— Large Shoes — u Want a Cracker!" — Teacher of 
Drawing 44 

CHAPTER Yin. 
A Trying Place , r 47 



8 Contents. 

CHAPTER IX. 

Clear Shining of the Truth — Baptism — Organizing of a 
Benevolent Society — Work Among the Fallen Page 51 

CHAPTER X. 
A Backslider Reclaimed 57 

CHAPTER XL 

At Chicago — Article from Union Signal — Present Home — 
An Appeal 60 



TEL SONO, 

THE JAPANESE REFORMER 



CHAPTER I. 

PARENTAGE STUDIES THOUGHTS OF GOD " TESA." 

My ancestors were of high descent, and very 
wealthy. Moan Waka Sono, my grandfather, who 
lived in Nagoya, was a philosopher. When over 
fifty years old he came to believe in a God in heaven, 
and built a room for prayer. There he always prayed 
looking toward heaven and ringing a bell which he 
held in his right hand. Sometimes he would sit down 
in the room and remain engaged in prayer for hours, 
not moving nor taking any nourishment. 

He began to give all his wealth to the destitute, and 
soon became very poor ; but he did not care about his 
poverty, and always said, " Human wealth is unprof- 
itable. I cannot carry it away when I die." 

His eldest daughter, my aunt, a very fine poetess, 
was fond of travel. Once when traveling alone, as 
was her custom, she was met in a mountain-pass by a 
thief. As a part of every woman's education in Ja- 
pan is skill in combat, my aunt was ready to defend 
herself. When he made the attempt to rob her she 



10 Tel Sono. 

adroitly pushed him down and held him while she 
reproved him for his evil deeds, explaining to him 
the right and wrong paths. "I will send you to 
judgment if you do not repent and stop this wicked 
business," she said. " I will go to right work now," 
he said. " I have been doing this work only a few 
months, but, after what you have said, can do it no 
longer." Then he wished her to spend the night 
w T ith him. She accepted the invitation, received good 
care from himself and wife, and was brought on her 
journey the following day by them. 

"When grandfather became very old she took him 
to her home and nursed him. One snowy winter aft- 
ernoon he lay down after dinner to rest, saying in 
verse, " He has kept my life for over eighty years. 
Now may I rest in happiness ! " Soon he fell asleep, 
never to awaken. 

He had four children, three sons and one daughter. 
The daughter, I have said, was a poetess, the first-born 
son the doctor of a prince, the second a teacher of 
war-tactics, and the youngest, my father, a philoso- 
pher and doctor. He first studied philosophy and 
traveled through the country. Once he sojourned in 
a place where the minister had a very fine old picture 
on which he had always wanted a poem written, but 
could find no person able to write it. My father 
wrote the desired poem, with which the people and 
minister were so pleased they wished him to stay a 
while and teach for them. They built him a house 



Parentage — Studies — Etc. 1 1 

and gave him kind attention. He gathered many 
scholars about him and remained there three years. 
The people wanted him to marry and make his home 
among them. Accordingly, arrangements were made 
and he married the daughter of a village governor. 
Shortly after the marriage he took her to the home of 
his sister, leaving her there to study, as she was not 
an educated woman, while he went away to study 
medicine. 

After he was graduated they went to the city of 
Tokio, where he began his practice of medicine. 
Many kings called him to serve them, but he loved 
freedom and would never go. His old scholars also 
called him to return to them. Shortly after my 
birth my parents returned to Ebalaki, where they 
remained. 

I was the second eldest of four children. One 
brother was a doctor, and my sister was a teacher in a 
public school for women. This school was established 
by her, and was the first school for women in my na- 
tive place. 

My good father never worshiped idols, neither 
would he allow me to do so, but counseled me when a 
little girl to minister to the needs of the destitute 
whenever an opportunity presented itself, resting as- 
sured that a pure life and kind deeds would be re- 
warded. His advice I have never forgotten, and have 
ever tried to live in accord with it, gladly sharing 
whatever I had with those not so favored. Near my 



12 Tel Sono. 

home lived a poor widow who loved me very much. 
One evening I saw that the back of her dress was 
badly torn, and I said, " O, iayah " (a word used in ad- 
dressing middle-aged or old women of the lower class), 
"your dress is torn behind." " Yes, ojosama" (miss), 
she said, " will you give some clothes to bayah ? " I 
said I would, and running home quickly I got a sum- 
mer gown of my father's, a garment worn by both men 
and women, and gave it to her. The next morning 
she came to thank my mother for the garment. My 
mother looked first at one, then at the other, and for 
some little time could not speak for laughing ; but 
finally she said it was all right. 

Sometimes she scolded me for doing those things, 
but my father always said, " She is doing a good 
work. Do not be angry with her." Indeed, I gave 
my mother much trouble by my generosity, for 
when she had . the dinner ready I many times would 
carry it out the back door and give it to the poor. 
My clothing also I frequently gave away. One win- 
ter afternoon — for we have our cold seasons in Japan — 
I took two little girls to a Buddhist garden. They 
were very scantily clothed and shivered in the cold 
north wind. My heart was moved with compassion, 
and, going with them behind the hedge, I took off two 
of my warm garments and gave one to each. 

When thirteen years of age I began the study of 
Japanese poetry with my father. The poems made 
me think and wonder, while many questions arose in 



Parentage — Studies — Etc. 1 3 

my mind. My father understood me better than any 
one else, and to him I went with my questions. 
" Father," I said, " who is the true God, and where 
is he ? " 

" I do not know, my child, but think he is somewhere 
in the sky." 

"Who made the earth, the people, the animals, and 
all other things ? " I questioned. 

" It may be the works of God," he answered, " be- 
cause human power is not sufficient." 

From that time I always thought there was one 
true God who dwelt in the sky, though for my 
thoughts I had no other evidence than the feeling 
that there must be some power in the universe greater 
and higher than mere human power. 

That same year an incident occurred that showed 
me very plainly the utter folly of idol-worship. While 
walking to school one morning with a friend, a girl 
several years older than myself, she told me about an 
altar which her father had erected to a very popular 
god. She said all her friends and neighbors' came to- 
gether every night to worship him, and asked me to 
meet them with my mother. In answer to my question 
regarding what kind of a god he was, she said his name 
was Otamasama, and that he was very mighty and 
strong ; in fact, that he was the most high God. I said, 
" O no ! he is an idol, and my mother and I will never 
worship idols." "I think he will kill you because 
you speak against him," she exclaimed loudly. " Very 



14 Tel Sono. 

well," I said, " if he is the true God I hope he will 
kill me, because I have always searched for him and 
shall be glad to know him. However, I do not believe 
this idol can kill me." She said he certainly would 
kill me because I doubted his being God. " Will you 
promise me one thing?" I said. " You have asked 
your god to kill me, and if he does not do it will you 
apologize for your hatred and angry words ? " She 
thought a little while, then said she would. 

As we neared home I charged her not to forget her 
promise, for I could see by her anxious face that she 
was greatly troubled. In the evening my most 
intimate friend told me that Tesa was going to have a 
meeting at her house, and was going to ask her god to 
kill me that very night. I told her not to let that 
trouble her, for I was certain her god was only an 
idol, but that I would go over and see her pray to 
him. Then throwing my apron over my head I 
hurried to her home. I could not open the gate, so 
crawled through a hole in the hedge and crept up to 
the parlor window. In Japan the custom is to have 
the parlor open on the lawn at the rear of the house. 
Windows made of fine heavy paper reach to the 
ground. No curtains are used, and the outside shut- 
ters are not closed until bed-time. In this large room, 
or parlor, was erected the altar. I was partly screened 
from view by the surrounding trees and shrubbery, and, 
tearing a small hole in the paper window, witnessed 
unobserved the ceremonies carried on inside. 



Parentage — Studies — Etc. 15 

There were about fifty people kneeling around the 
altar, on which was placed a paper image. Some 
clasped their hands and looked up at the image ; some 
bowed before it until their faces almost touched the 
floor, and some had tinsel balls strung together like a 
necklace which they rubbed between the palms of 
their hands, making a jingling sound, while all gave 
vent to exclamations of praise and adoration. Their 
faces were bathed in perspiration from their intense 
earnestness in calling for the spirit to come and enter 
that paper idol. 

Before the altar stood a large iron pan in which a 
slow fire was kept burning, filling the room with 
smoke. I watched just as earnestly as they prayed, 
wondering what a spirit could be like. Then one of 
their number bowed very low directly in front of the 
altar and made a long prayer in which he besought 
the spirit to come and take possession of him. 

After a long time he shook the image, causing the 
paper ribbons to make a rustling noise, an indication 
to the people that his prayer was not being answered. 
" I feel very strange to-night," he said. " Why does 
not the spirit come ? I think there must be some un- 
believers here." He looked over the company, but 
found only his members there ; then he opened the 
window and saw me sitting behind a small evergreen 
tree at the corner under the window. "A little un- 
believing girl has confused our prayers to-night ! " he 
exclaimed. Tesa's father came out to where I was, 



16 Tel Sono. 

and, on recognizing me, said to the prophet, " This 
little girl is the daughter of Dr. Tesai Sono. She 
and my daughter are school-mates." Then the 
prophet told him to drive me away quickly. 

He wanted to do as he was bidden, so opened the 
gate and told me to go right home. " No," I said, 
" I will not go until your daughter acknowledges to 
me that her god is an idol. She promised me this 
morning that she would do that if he did not kill me 
to-night." Her father called to her and told her to 
come out, but she refused because she was afraid. 

Her mother came and begged me to obey her and 
go home, saying she would make acknowledgment in 
her daughter's stead and would give me fruit and cake 
besides. That satisfied me, for I felt that I had come 
off victorious. 

I said, "I will excuse her for your sake." It was 
then about ten o'clock, and I ran home with my apron 
full of cake and fruit, but said nothing to my parents 
about where I had been. 



Father's Sickness — A Prayer. 17 



CHAPTER II. 

FATHER'S SICKNESS A PRAYER. 

When I was fourteen years old my father fell sick, 
and the doctors said that he could not live more than 
two or three days. This made my mother, sister, and 
brothers so sad that I could not stay with them in the 
house. I determined to pray to the true God for my 
father's life, so, taking my best friend, Otama, with me 
into a secluded place in the garden near a well, I told 
her what I intended to do, and asked her to help me. 

She listened earnestly while I talked, peering into 
my face too astonished to make any reply. At last 
she said, " Are you crazy to-night ? " " ISTo, I am not 
crazy. My mother, sister, and brothers are very sorrow- 
ful and my own heart is almost broken ; therefore I 
have decided to offer my own life as a sacrifice for 
my father's." 

At this point she thrfew her arms around me, and 
after we had wept for some time in each other's em- 
brace she said, " I will do as you wish, but if you die 
I want to die with you." 

The ceremonies connected with prayer for the life 
of a friend were very solemn and awful, involving the 
sacrifice of the suppliant's life for that of the sick 
person, if necessary. First the hair was cut off and 



18 Tel Sono. 

offered as a sacrifice — the most precious which could 
be offered ; then the body was stripped, and cold 
water poured over it to purify and make prayer 
acceptable. 

Taking a razor, I cut off my hair close to the scalp 
and hung it up under a tree. Next I took off all my 
clothing, and, throwing it down on the grass, seated 
myself on a board by the well. Otama then poured 
three buckets full of water on my head, causing it to 
run down over my entire body. I shook so with the 
cold, both from the water and the north w T ind that was 
blowing, that I could not utter one word of prayer at 
first ; but after a while I did not feel the cold quite 
so much, and looking up toward the sky began to pray 
thus : " O, true God ! If you stay somewhere in the 
sky, please hear my voice ! Please let me die for my 
father, for if he dies my mother will die also. Save 
the lives of my father and mother, I pray, O God, 
and I will sacrifice to you not only my hair, but my 
soul and body. If you do not spare my father's 
life I hope you will kill me just now! O, is there 
no true God in the world ? I am so hungry to 
hear God's voice ! O, please speak to me and 
save my father's life ? " 

After Otama had poured the water on my head 
she sat down on the grass behind me and listened to 
my prayer. Just as I was uttering the last sentence 
she cried with aloud voice. This attracted my grand- 
mother's attention, and, taking a lighted candle in 



Father's Sickness — A Prayer. 19 

her Land, she with my nurse hurried into the garden. 
"When they discovered us they were greatly shocked 
at my condition. My nurse caught up my clothing 
and wrapping it around my naked body carried me 
to the house and put me down by the lire, while my 
grandmother and friend followed us. 

Grandmother looked into my face, put her hand 
on my head, and whispered something to my nurse ; 
then both cried for a long time. 

It was about eleven o'clock when nurse took me to 
bed, my friend staying to sleep with me. Not being 
able to sleep, I got up about midnight and went 
softly through the hall to my father's sick-room. 
Listening carefully at the door, I heard some 
one laugh. "That is my mother's voice," I said. 
" I believe God has heard .my prayer and made my 
father better, or mother would not be laughing." 
Just then mother came out and saw me standing 
by the door. She looked into my face and said, 
" My dear, father is a little better ; you did him 
good. Now run right to bed and get a good 
sleep ; then you may get up early and come to see 
him." 

I obeyed, and slept soundly all the rest of the night. 
Rising early, I went to my father's room and looked 
anxiously into his face to see how he was. " My 
dear," he said, speaking slowly and in a very weak 
voice," I am much better this morning, and think I 
will soon be well ; you need not feel troubled about 



20 Tel Sono. 

me any more. I hope that you will go to school to-day 
and have good lessons." 

I ran away by myself and cried for joy. " Surely 
there is a true God somewhere," I said, and prayed 
again : " O, true God, I thank you very much for sav- 
ing my father's life. Now I wish you would please 
keep him alive many years, and take my life any time 
instead." Then I went to school and played with the 
children. 

My mind was perfectly at rest about my father 
from that time, and by Christmas, two months later, 
he was entirely well. 



Marriage — A Rebellion — Etc. 21 



CHAPTER III. 

MARRIAGE A REBELLION RETURN TO FATHER'S HOUSE. 

At the age of nineteen my parents betrothed me to an 
officer of the king's treasure, to whom I was soon mar- 
ried. He took me to his home, where -his parents and 
two sisters-in-law also lived. The following year (1866) 
there arose a rebellion that caused much excitement 
for a time but was soon quelled. I had been spending 
the night with my mother, and very early in the morn- 
ing we were awakened by the firing of guns in rapid 
succession. Mother's maid came running into the room 
and told us to get up at once, that the rebels were 
fighting in our town, Manaba. ' Rising quickly, I 
looked toward my husband's home and saw that it 
was completely enveloped in smoke and fire. "I 
must go right home ! " I exclaimed. Mother remon- 
strated with me, and said, " You cannot go, child, for 
you might have to pass right through the blazing fire 
and be burned to death." 

But I scarcely knew what she was saying ; and, 
dressing hurriedly, I hastened home. My husband 
and father-in-law being officers of the king's court 
were of course on duty, and I found my mother and 
sisters-in-law with their treasures tied up and just 
ready to escape from the house. " Mother, I think 



22 Tel Sono. 

you had better wait a while," I said, "because when 
father wants more arms he will send a messenger for 
them, and if we leave who will give them to him ? 
Our goods will be stolen if we leave the house ; be- 
sides, the fighting will probably stop soon, and if it 
does not the king will have us taken to his fort." 
But my mother-in-law said she could not wait so long 
for deliverance, and that she was going to look after 
her own life and the lives of her daughters. " If you 
want to stay alone and watch the house you may 
do so," she said. 

After they had gone I washed my face, changed 
my dress, took one of my husband's swords, and 
seated myself on the front door step to watch the 
battle. 

The enemies were soon scattered, and by evening 
our town was in peace and quiet. When peace was 
restored those who had fled from their homes in fear 
crept quietly back like so many spiders, carrying their 
bundles with them. 

My husband was called to Tokio on matters of 
business occasioned by the rebellion, and was detained 
there a year. On his return I noticed that he had 
begun to drink wine. Many times I begged him to 
stop, but he would not listen to me. In my country 
the Enarimasu7 % e, or Fox holiday, is celebrated the 
second day of February. Small temples are built in the 
yard of each king, and sumptuous feasts are spread for 
the officers and their guests. On one such occasion my 



Marriage — A Rebellion — Etc. 23 

husband spent all day feasting and playing with his 
friends, and came home at seven o'clock in the even- 
ing very drunk and wanted me to drink wine with 
him. " No," I said, " I will never give you wine to 
drink in my house." He left the room, but soon came 
back bringing a bottle of wine, and commanded me 
to make a wine feast for him. This I refused to do, 
and took the glass from his hand, out of which he 
was about to drink. At this he became very angry 
and struck me. Then I concluded that it would be 
better for me to go back to my father's house, and to 
do so at once, while my husband was rich. Should I 
wait until he became poor he would say that I left 
him because of his poverty and would hate me. Ac- 
cordingly, I took my little daughter, then three years 
old, and returned to my home, May 2, 1871. My 
grandmother had died the year before, and in her 
house, which was in the same yard with my father's, 
I lived with one servant. There I established a free 
school for the poor and taught it for three years. 

My father and I resumed our study together, and 
in addition to other studies we read books of law. 

My daughter's future, and how to provide for it, 
was a great question in my mind. She must be edu- 
cated, and I wondered what I, a woman, could do to 
earn money sufficient. At last I decided to be a law- 
yer. Closing my school, and leaving my daughter 
with my mother, I went to Tokio to pursue my 
studies. 



24 Tel Sono. 



CHAPTER IV. 

PRACTICING LAW DISASTROUS FIRES FATHER'S DEATH. 

For three months I held the position of secretary 
of judgment, and then began the practice of law. 

There is in my country no tradition of a woman 
lawyer, and up to the present time I have been the 
only one. 

Many people came to see me every day as I went 
to court, and when I passed through the yard the 
people on both sides of the judicial and assize courts 
would stand up to gaze at me. They thought it very 
wonderful and strange for a woman to be a lawyer. 

That year much that was new from America and 
other countries was introduced into Japan, among 
which was the telegraph, steam-carriages, electric 
light, and photography. 

At this time two poets who lived in the city of 
Tokio, N. Ohash and S. Keta, wrote one hundred 
poems about the wonderful things Japan now pos- 
sessed. One poem was about the woman lawyer, and 
thus, when the book, ToMshensh, was published, my 
name became known throughout Japan. 

For tw T elve years I followed the practice of law, and 
my career was recognized by all as most successful. 
In this profession the low position of woman was 



Practicing Law — Disastrous Fires — Etc. 25 

brought more clearly than ever before my mind, and 
in my heart there burned a desire to elevate her by 
giving her an education. 

My wisest course to accomplish this object seemed 
to be to visit America and learn the customs of a peo- 
ple where woman stood on a level with man. But no 
opportunity for me to leave my business presented 
itself. One day a poor woman who had been en- 
snared by a wicked man, and led to make a great 
mistake through her ignorance, 'was tried and con- 
demned. 

How my heart burned ! I grew impatient of de- 
lay. Soon I would be too old to do the work now 
within my power. To America I must go, and that at 
once. Four days after the decision against the poor 
ignorant woman, and my decision following that, I 
set sail for America. But before describing my life 
in America I will relate a few incidents descriptive 
of my benevolent work during the twelve years in 
Tokio. 

As the buildings in my country are mostly of wood, 
fires often break out, and, sweeping along with terri- 
ble force, destroy whole blocks. Such a lire raged 
through the streets of the poor one winter night, the 
loud ringing of fire-bells awakening me about eleven 
o'clock. The river which ran through the street was 
frozen over so that water enough to put out the flames 
could not be obtained, and when morning dawned the 
homes of almost three hundred poor families had 



26 Tel Sono. 

been burned to the ground. At an early hour I 
opened a store to feed these homeless ones. To each 
person I gave fifteen pounds of rice, and to the chil- 
dren candv and crackers. For two weeks I carried 
on this benevolent work, and about three months 
after received a letter from the emperor in acknowl- 
edgment of my work. 

At another time a fire broke out about a mile from 
my house and quite near many buildings which I was 
just having put up. The night was calm at first, but 
suddenly a strong west wind rose, driving the flames 
with fierce rapidity until my new buildings were 
reached and then my home. Thirty-six strongmen 
came to the rescue, carrying out all my household 
goods, but being quite unable to save the buildings. 
All the night they guarded my goods, while I went 
to a quiet place to rest. The following morning I 
took them with me to a great restaurant, gave them a 
good dinner, and offered money to each. The money 
they would not accept, saying it was their duty to help 
in time of fire. "¥e have often helped others," 
they said, u but never had such a feast after our work, 
and we certainly never saw anyone with such a pleas- 
ant face after being burned out. You have ever been 
ready to help us, and we are glad to do this for you." 
Then one of them told about my gardener, who it 
seemed would not leave my home to save his own, 
saying if his was destroyed he could bring his family 
and live with me. I told them that I understood all 



Practicing Law — Disastrous Fires — Etc. 27 

their kindness and appreciated it, but could not rest 
without paying them for their services, and that the 
very experience through which I had just passed 
would enable me to make more money in my busi- 
ness. At this they gladly received the money. Then 
they took me back to my home, and standing in rank 
before the door sang a happy song. 

Through the kindness of friends a new home was 
quickly built for me. My loss through this fire was 
very great. 

The third year of my business life my father came to 
visit me. " I have come to bid you good-bye," he said, 
" for I have a sickness with which I must soon die." 

He brought a letter from my mother in which she 
charged me to eomfort him and give him good care, 
for he would probably die that year. After three 
months he returned home, and soon becam every sick. 
When I went home to nurse him he said, " You 
must not trouble. The end of my life is come, and 
such is the will of heaven." He had been accus- 
tomed to say, when he saw wicked persons come into 
danger and distress, " It is the judgment of Heaven." 

A month later, on the evening of October 3, 1876, 
he told us, U I shall die about four o'clock in the 
morning." Then he dictated a short poem, which 
my sister wrote : 

" He in whose hand my breath has been held now opens his hand, 
And my soul goes away." 

At the hour named he passed away. 



28 Tel Sono. 



CHAPTER V. 

A NEW-YEAR'S DINNER THE YOUNG MAN'S STORY ITS 

SEQUEL THE DESERTED WIFE. 

fc As in childhood I had loved to help the needy, so 
in womanhood, with increased opportunities, this work 
was one of ray chief delights. 

Every year on Christmas eve I invited to my home 
the women and men who worked for me. To each 
one I lent money that they might prepare for the 
New-year and canceled the old year's debt, telling 
them they must work well the next year. On the 
New-year, January 7, I invited all the poor in the 
neighborhood, with my working-people, to a soup 
dinner. 

Each at my request brought a handful of some- 
thing to put in the soup, which was being prepared 
in a large iron kettle. They all gathered around me 
when it was done, while I tasted to find how good the 
soup was and who had brought in the best thing for 
it, giving credit to each one for good taste. When 
the dinner had been eaten I gave parcels of clothing, 
comforters, towels, stockings, aprons, cakes, candies, 
and other things to the poor, and to my rich friends 
who came to see the condition of the poor I gave 
boxes tied with bright ribbons, which they were not 



A New- Year's Dinner — Etc. 29 

to open until they went home. In these boxes were 
baked potatoes, turnips, and Onions. Early the next 
morning the poor would return to thank me, and my 
friends to laugh over the funny contents of their 
boxes. I remember now with pleasure these New- 
year days and the glad faces of my people on such 
occasions. 

One morning not long after the New-year my hand- 
maid came to my sitting-room to tell me the gardener 
was crying in the back kitchen. I bade her call him 
in, and inquired concerning his trouble. He said his 
mother had died the night before, and that he had no 
money to bury her. " I cannot ask you for money," 
he said, " for you are always doing so much for us." 
However, I gave him the needed money for the 
funeral expenses. To the poor sick I used to send 
my doctor, also money and food, and many times 
paid their funeral expenses. 

In December, 1879, a young man came to me with 
the following sad story : " Two weeks ago a gentle- 
man came to the clothing store where I worked and 
said that his family wanted some clothes for the New- 
year. He chose high-priced goods, and at his request 
I carried them to the house that his family might see 
them. Then he asked me to leave them all night 
until his mother came home, as they wanted to ask 
her opinion about what was best to buy. After some 
consideration I decided to leave them, as the home 
was not a poor one, and I thought he probably was an 



30 Tel Sono. 

officer of the law. But I could not sleep that night, 
because in leaving the goods I had broken the law of 
the store and I felt I had done wrong. Early next 
morning I went to the house, but it was shut up and 
no person answered my knock. My heart beat like 
dashing waves or the quick ringing of bells. All day 
I watched, and in the evening saw the family return. 
I went to the man and asked him for the goods. He 
said a person whom he owed had taken them away in 
payment of his debt. He was sorry, he said, but the 
only tiling he could do was to give me three dollars 
every month until the price was paid. After that he 
would have nothing more to say to me. My master 
has said that I must pay for the goods if I do not 
bring them back to the store. He will not forgive 
me, because he says others would do the same by and 
by. I have no money to pay and am a stranger, hav- 
ing come from the far north country. Will you not 
speak for me and get back the goods that I may re- 
turn to my work ? " 

I felt very sorry for him, and went as he requested 
to the man who had stolen the goods. The cause of 
his committing the evil deed was easily explained. 
He had been rich ; then, on account of poor eye- 
sight, his business had failed, but being proud he 
wdshed to keep up a good appearance. I told him 
judgment would come upon him for his wickedness, 
his deceit, and theft. He was greatly ashamed and 
afraid, knowing what I had said was true. When 



A New-Year's Dinner — Etc. 31 

I had finished talking he bowed down until his face 
almost touched the floor, saying, with tears : " Will 
you not save us with your great virtue ? I committed 
this iniquity because we have become poor on ac- 
count of my failing eye-sight. " If you make this 
public I shall be sent to prison as you have said, and 
my dear mother, wife, and child will die with 
hunger. Please save my family." 

His wife, who sat beside him, cried so loudly that 
his mother's attention was arrested, and she came 
down-stairs. His daughter also came in, and, though 
she did not know what was the trouble, stood by her 
father weeping. lie said to her : " Dear, your father 
has committed a great sin, and this lady can send him 
to prison. What will you do if I go to prison ? You 
will die of hunger, and so will your mother and grand- 
mother. Ask this lady to forgive my sin for the sake 
of our family." Then the child, who was about ten 
years old, and the grandmother of seventy and the 
wife, all came to my side and worshiped me, their 
tears falling like rain. I felt most sorry for the 
grandmother and child, who had not known of the 
wrong that had been done, especially for the poor 
grandmother. Her face was thin, her hair white, and 
she looked ready to die. My heart began to move 
with compassion for them. I asked the man what 
restitution he could make. He said he received thirty 
dollars from the emperor every month, and could pay 
ten out of that money until the eighty for which he 



32 Tel Sono. 

had sold the goods was refunded. Taking him 
with me, I went to the man who bought the goods 
and told him the circumstances. He was greatly 
troubled about having stolen property, and on my 
paying him eighty dollars collected the goods and 
sent them home with me. I put them into the hands 
of the young man, who, with a grateful heart, took 
them back to the store. I accompanied him and ex- 
cused him to his master, who allowed him to come 
back to his work. The debtor promised to pay me 
ten dollars every month, and thus the matter was 
settled. 

Three years later I read in a newspaper the sad con- 
dition of a poor woman, who lived in a wretched 
street with a blind, sick husband and two children, 
one a baby. The paper said the children were cry- 
ing of hunger, all were like skeletons, and the 
mother was almost crazy with grief. I at once went 
to see if what I had read was true, taking some food 
in my buggy to give them if they were in need. I 
reached the place only to find their condition worse 
than had been described. The man was lying on 
the floor covered with a thin comforter, and the 
children on a large piece of thick paper covered 
with an old sheet. They were dressed in summer 
clothes, the bones stood out on their faces, and 
they were in such a weak condition they could not 
move. The first thing I did was to give them the 
food which I had brought. The woman acted 



A New-Year's Dinner— Etc. 33 

very strangely from the first ; her face turned red 
when she saw me, and she did not seem to receive 
very willingly what I gave her. She said to her hus- 
band, " Miss Tel Sono has called, and she has brought 
many things for us ; she has also given me much 
money." " Who did you say had visited us?" 
he said, starting up. " What shall I do ? Please cover 
my face." Then he assumed a worshipful attitude 
toward me, as did also his wife, their tears falling 
fast. A lone: while I stood in the kitchen wondering 
who they were. At last I remembered this was the 
man who had stolen the goods, and I then understood 
their strange manner. He had not kept his promise 
in regard to paying me, but after sending twenty 
dollars had moved away, and I had heard nothing 
from him. 

I told them not to trouble about that, the matter 
had quite passed from my mind, and that I then for- 
gave them. " You are in trouble now," I said, " there- 
fore I will think of you as my new friends, and do 
what I can to help you." 

I sent them warm clothes, and my doctor attended 
the sick man. A month later he died, and was buried 
at my expense. Seven days after the funeral I sent 
the family to their relatives in the north. 

As I look back now I understand that it was God 
who visited this man in judgment for his sin. I for- 
gave him, but he could not escape the justice of God. 

Very early one October morning a poor woman 



Si Tel Sono. 

came to see me. My maid told her she had better 
come later, as her mistress had not yet risen. She 
would not move from the front step, however, but 
pleaded that she might see me, sa # ying I could save her 
life. When the maid told me what the woman said 
I had her called in. She was about forty years of 
age, and wore a summer dress though the day was 
cold. In answer to my questions, she told me the fol- 
lowing story : " Four months ago my husband and I 
came from the south country to the city of Tokio that 
he might be convenient to his business. We brought 
our clothes and other personal belongings, but sold 
our house and household furniture, and since being 
here have boarded. 

" At first my husband returned from business every 
day, then he did not come home so often. Three 
weeks ago he returned and said : ' My business has 
failed and my money is all lost. I need money to- 
night to begin business again. Will you lend me 
your possessions ? I will give them back to you in a 
week with a reward.' I did as he asked, giving him 
both my money and valuables. Every day since I 
have looked for him, but in vain. 

" Soon after his disappearance I began to receive 
letters from those whom he owed, and creditors began 
to call on me. This was the first that I knew of his 
having contracted a large debt, and the knowledge 
occasioned me much sadness. I searched in his busi- 
ness places for some trace of him but could find none. 



A New- Year's Dinner — Etc. 35 

A week ago my landlord said he could not keep me 
any longer unless I paid my board. On my promising 
to give him some money soon he allowed me to stay 
a little while longer. 

" I determined to seek help from a rich aunt 
whom I had not visited for ten years on account 
of having angered her by a mistake I made, hop- 
ing she would forgive the past. When I told her 
of my trouble and asked her to lend me some money 
she coldly said she could lend me no money unless 
I mortgaged something. I had nothing to mortgage 
except the clothing I wore, but my need was great ; 
so taking off some of my garments I gave them to her 
in exchange for a small sum of money. 

" With this I paid my board, then searched again 
for my husband. This morning the landlord said he 
could keep me no longer. * I feel very sorry for you,' 
he said, ' for I do not believe that you will find your 
husband.' Then he told me of you, whom he knew 
to be a kind, brave woman, and said he believed you 
would help me. That is why I am come to you." 

While considering her case the words of a wise 
man came to my mind : " If a bird escape from one 
hunter's hand and seek refuge in the hand of an- 
other hunter, the latter would not take her life." 
Then I decided that as the poor woman had come to 
me for help I could not turn her away. " You may 
come and live with me," I said, " and I will help you." 
At this she wept for joy. Taking her with me, I went 
3 



36 Tel Sono. 

to her landlord, paid the remainder of her debt for 
board, and had her bring what few things she owned 
to my home. Then I went and spoke to her aunt 
about the wrong she had done in taking the clothes 
her niece was wearing. She was greatly ashamed, 
and gave back the clothes, but would not keep her 
niece, saying I was free to do for her as I wished. 

For a year and a half I kept the woman in my 
home, to the great anxiety of my friends, who feared 
she would rob me. I told them they need not trouble ; 
she was only a poor woman, and not able to carry 
away my goods. When I gave her any thing the 
same as my family had, she would begin to weep. 
This I thought very strange, but was made to under- 
stand it when I too became a stranger in a strange 
land. Often the kind words spoken to me when 
lonely and sad have received no other answer than a 
flood of tears. 



Arrival in America — Etc. 



37 



CHAPTER VI. 

ARRIVAL IN AMERICA FIRST EXPERIENCES. 

It was the 19th day of December, 1885, that I set 
sail for America, arriving in San Francisco the 7th of 
January, 18S6. 

Before leaving my country I wrote the following 
poem : 





i* 

X <» 

"My dear native land, my heart will never change 
its pm-pose, my duty to you will never be forgotten. 



38 Tel Sono. 

If my purpose cannot be perfected I will never return 
to you, but will die in the strange country, and there 
my body will turn to dust." 

To all who had hired money of me I gave back the 
notes which I held against them, valued at over one 
thousand dollars. 

Three months after my arrival in San Francisco 
the Bank of Japan, in which my money was deposited, 
failed. When I heard of that I concluded it would not 
have been right for me to use this money, which had 
been obtained in the business of law, because in making 
one person happy I had made another sad, in making 
one love me I had made another hate me, and that 
surely could not be right. 

Now, I said, is my opportunity to gain a varied 
experience. I determined to do housework, not only 
to earn my living and make money for my future 
work, but also to see how different people lived. I 
hired a room in a colored family, and began to look 
about for employment. Not knowing any thing of 
the English language, my situation was rather a 
difficult and painful one. 

One morning a gentleman came to the Japanese 
Mission and w T anted a boy or girl to do house-work 
and cooking. No one w r as willing to go because 
it was so far from San Francisco and on a farm, 
but I wanted to see how American farmers lived 
and said I would go. He asked me if I could cook 
and do housework. As I could not speak English 



Arrival in America — Etc. 39 

a friend answered for me and said I could do any 
work. 

Then lie engaged me, and we took the train to his 
home. His wife was waiting for ns at the station with 
the bnsrerv. 

The family numbered six, the gentleman and his 
wife, their daughter, two hired men, and myself. 
The house w T as large, containing fourteen rooms, sur- 
rounded by a beautiful yard, in which were many 
flowers. The gentleman was a Mexican, and his wife 
a very proud German woman. She was angry because 
I could not speak English, and knew so little about 
housework, as it gave her trouble to teach me ; and 
she would scold her husband for engaging me. Every 
morning, to atone for his mistake, he would get up 
early and teach me how to cook the breakfast. His 
wife taught me at dinner-time, and in about ten 
days I could do the work. One morning I made the 
biscuits without any baking-powder, so the next time 
she had her daughter make them for me to bake ; but 
I did not know how long to let them stay in the oven. 
At dinner-time, after ringing the first bell, I looked 
at them and saw they were all black. 1 felt so ashamed 
and troubled that I hid them under the wood in the 
kindling box. She called me to bring in the biscuits, 
but I could not ; so she came into the kitchen, and, 
not finding them, asked me where they were. I said, 
" Please excuse me ! Please excuse me." I was very 
much afraid, because when angry she would slap her 



40 Tel Sono. 

daughter, so I ran and hid in the closet. A longtime 
after I told her about it and she laughed very much, 
as she had then learned to love me. 

I had to work very hard from morning until night, 
and, as I had no time to stud}', decided to hide every- 
day for twenty minutes and read my books. Often I 
studied until twelve o'clock at night, and in that way 
succeeded in translating the Third and Fourth Readers. 
Not being accustomed to work, it caused my hands to 
become sore and my limbs to swell so that I had to 
lie down to study at night. When my friends saw 
the books I translated they were surprised and very 
much pleased. 

I asked Mr. Meyama, my pastor, to find me a room 
for which I would have to pay but little or nothing. 
He answered laughingly that he could not unless I 
were willing to stay down cellar in the darkness. I 
said I would try it, so he went with me to see a room 
under the Chinese Mission. It had no windows, but a 
little light came from a hole through which I could see 
the feet of the people as they passed by on the street. 
As I had no money to pay rent I decided to stay there. 

Mr. Meyama swept and washed the floor, then 
brought a candle and lamp, an old bedstead, and a 
sheet from the mission. He told me to sew the sheet 
up, leaving one end open. When I had done so he 
took it away, and after a while returned carrying 
what I thought was a large white post. He put it on 
the bedstead and said it was my bed. "Am I to 



Arrival in America — Etc. 41 

sleep on a big post ? " I asked. It would become very 
comfortable, he said, after I had slept on it a week. 
When he had gone away I examined my strange- 
looking bed and found it was made of many white 
sticks. I did not believe I could sleep on it, and, going 
to Mr. Meyama, told him I thought lie had played a 
joke on me. He said, u O no, indeed! That is 
trjily a bed, a chip bed, as we call it in this country." 
To convince me he showed me the young men's 
beds in the mission, and said they were just like mine 
at first. I returned to my cellar still greatly troubled 
at the thought of sleeping on such a queer thing. I 
went to school that night as usual, but on my return 
could not study for wondering where I should sleep. 
I tried to make the bed smooth and even by knocking 
it with my hands, but my attempts were vain. Then 
I tried another experiment, which seemed more suc- 
cessful, and went to bed only to fall out while asleep. 
This frightened me ; but I determined to try it once 
again, and, taking the ropes from my trunk, tied the 
bed to the bedstead, and lay down this time to sleep 
till morning. During the days that followed I was 
very homesick, and every night dreamed of my native 
land. When I had time I would go to the top of a 
hill, and, sitting down on the grass, look out over the 
sea toward my home and say : 

11 Ah, poor dismal heart! 
In a strauge laud arc thou, 
Alone and friendless I 



42 Tel Sono. 

Thou hast no one to comfort thee 



No one to listen to the tale of thy woe. 
The great deep lies between thee and home, 
The clouds hang, a veil before thine eyes ; 
And in vain thou cryest 
For native land and mother ! " 

I was indeed sad ! The light of God's truth had 
not yet shone into my heart, my present position was 
very low, and the future was full of darkness in respect 
to the accomplishment of my work. 

A Christian lady, Mrs. E. P. Keeney, who lived in 
the city of San Francisco, hearing of my. wretched 
condition, took me to her home and showed me great 
kindness. 

She taught me so that in three months I could read 
through the First and Second Readers. Then she went 
away and I returned to the cellar. During the day I 
worked at different places and at night attended 
school. On account of the dampness of the cellar I 
could not sit with my feet on the floor, so always sat 
on the bed to study, my little* candle burning beside 
me. The bed, by the way, had become very com- 
fortable, so that I used to say when coming in 
tired, "Dear bed, I love you better than the one 
at home ! " 

One midnight I was awakened by a great noise. 
Some colored men were quarreling and fighting. I 
was greatly afraid, for I thought that they might 
come into my room, because they had already kicked 
to pieces two doors in the next room. I felt very 



Arrival in America — Etc. 43 

lonely and prayed, " O, true God, come and save me ! 
I am very much afraid of that noise. Help, I pray, 
lest they come and kill me ! " 

I believed God would make peace between them for 
me, and at once I ceased to fear. From that time I 
began to pray again to the " true God." I attended 
every meeting at the Japanese Mission, and tried to 
find him, but could not. Still I continued to pray 
alone in my cellar, and always felt happy after prayer. 



44 Tel Sono. 



CHAPTER VII. 

THREE DAYS AT PUBLIC SCHOOL YOIT^G LADIES* SCHOOL 

LARGE SHOES " WANT A CRACKER ! " TEACHER 

OF DRAWING. 

Shortly after the incident before mentioned I left 
the cellar to work for a kind Christian lad}^ but in 
six weeks she was called to Ohio. Then Mrs. K. 
Waterman, a lady living near, said she would send 
me to school if I would come to her and wait on her 
daughter. She made this kind offer because she was 
in sympathy w T ith my plans. Thus through her my 
way to gain an English education was opened. 

For three days I attended the public school, and 
each day was questioned by the principal regarding 
my native country, my name, and age. " Are you 
sixteen or seventeen years old ? " he said. For a 
long while I stood without making any reply, fearing 
to say that I was almost forty years old, lest he would 
not allow me to come to school. 

He did not know what was going on in my heart, 
and explained again in very plain words his question. 
I could no longer be silent, so I said, " I am twenty- 
four years old." He looked surprised. " What ? 
twenty-four years old ! Are you sure ? " That night 
Mrs. Waterman received a letter saying I could not 



Three Days at Public School — Etc. 45 

attend the school. I wept bitterly over the letter, 
refusing to leave my room or eat, so completely dis- 
couraged was I ; but Mrs. Waterman soon comforted 
me by saying she would send me to her daughter's 
school, which she immediately did. In June, 1S88, 
Mrs. Waterman's daughter died, and thus I had no 
work to do. Though she did not say for me to go 
away, I decided to seek employment and a home else- 
where. This time I went to work for a music-teacher. 
The family was very late in rising, thus keeping me 
late with my work. In order to reach school in time 
I would have to run to catch the train ; but the con- 
ductor was kind, and used to wait when he saw me 
coming. 

Wishing to know how to make American dresses 
I next went to live with a dress-maker. One after- 
noon, while there, I was mending stockings in the 
sitting-room when some ladies came in. They asked 
me why I was darning so many stockings. " Because 
I wear out a pair almost every day," I said. Then 
they wanted to know what number shoes I wore. 
I said I did not know, but that Japanese women's 
feet were very large. Two of the ladies took off 
their shoes and tried them on my feet and found 
them quite large enough. " You should wear shoes 
No. 44 instead of No. 7," they said, laughing ; " then 
your stockings would not wear out so quickly." After 
they had gone I went out and bought a pair of boots 
the proper size. I laughed very heartily after when 



46 Tel Sono. 

I thought of how funny No. 7 shoes must have looked 
with the short skirts I then wore. I had not thought 
of my shoes being too large. I had only known that 
with every step they slipped up and down and that 
my feet felt very heavy. So anxious was I to study 
that my appearance received but little thought. 

One afternoon, while waiting for the train to go 
over to the school, I went into a fruit-store to buy 
some bananas. As I was going out some one called 
after me, " You want cracker ? You want cracker ? " 
I thought it was the store-keeper, and said, " No, 
thank you." Twice again the question was asked. I 
answered in a little louder tone, for I did not like to 
be asked so often, "O no; I do not want any ! " 
Then I noticed that those about me were laughing, 
and I looked around to find a parrot had been talking 
to me. I felt so ashamed that I hurried home with- 
out waiting for the train. 

At this time my kind teacher, Mrs. Reid, said to 
me, " I have been thinking about you, and how very 
hard it is for you to meet the school expenses and your 
car-fare over here. If you are willing to teach draw- 
ing to the kindergarten children one hour every day 
you need not pay any thing for instruction." 

This kind offer I gladly accepted. 



A Trying Place. . 47 



CHAPTEE VIII. 

A TRYING PLACE. 

I once went to an employment-office in San Fran- 
cisco in search of work. The woman in charge said 
that she had a very hard place, where the lady could 
not keep a girl one week. I said I would like to try 
it. There were five children in the family, the father 
and mother, and an up-stairs girl. 

One of my first orders was that I must not use 
over three shovels of coal at once, and that whenever 
I had any time I must chop coal and wood. Every 
night the lady gave me three cupfuls of oatmeal for 
breakfast, and that was all the breakfast they had. 
Very often I had not enough hot water because of not 
being allowed to keep much fire. She would come in 
very often to look at the stove and to see if I had used 
much coal ; and the dampers were kept tied with wire 
so that they could not be opened to make the fire 
burn brightly. She and her husband drank coffee in 
the morning, but we were not allowed any ; and if we 
wished tea she would put about ten or twelve leaves 
in our cups. 

From five o'clock in the morning to ten o'clock at 
night I worked hard. For the up-stairs girl, who was 
about eighteen years old, I felt very sorry, because 



48 Tel Sono. 

she had not enough to eat. As she took care of the 
children she had her meals with the family, and was 
too much afraid of her mistress to eat much. She 
asked me to give her a piece of bread every evening. 
My only opportunity to get it was when taking off the 
dishes, as the lady kept the keys of the pantry. So I 
would slip a piece into my pocket and afterward put 
it under the girl's pillow. She was very grateful for 
the bread, and said she could not stay long if I went 
away, because she had not strength to work so hard 
without more food. 

One morning after I had baked as usual I left the 
bread and fresh biscuits on the table and went to my 
ironing in the washing-room. Soon the lady called 
me, and with an angry face said, " Did you eat five of 
those biscuits ? " I said I had not been in the 
kitchen since having baked them. Then she called 
the up-stairs girl and asked her, but she said she knew 
nothing of them. And then she collected all the chil- 
dren before the table, the oldest one being eighteen 
years of age, and examined each one. -They all said 
they had not taken the biscuits, though I thought they 
very likely had eaten them, because they were always 
hungry. Then she said she believed the milkman had 
stolen them when he brought the milk into the 
kitchen. The next time baking was done she com- 
manded that the bread be left upon the same table, and 
that I watch from some hiding-place when the milk- 
man came in. ""Wait until he gets out of the 



A Trying Place. 49 

kitchen," she said, "then call after him to 'give back 
those biscuits. 5 If he refuses, examine his pockets." 
Later she came in and wanted to know how he stole 
the biscuits and whether he gave them back or not ; 
but I told her he did not take them and that he said 
he never stole her biscuits. 

One Saturday I swept four bedrooms and put the 
children's large play-room in order between doing the 
cooking ; but she said I did not do enough work for 
the money I received. I said, " Yery well, you may 
get some one else to do your work. I cannot work any 
more than I am doing." About ten o'clock at night, 
a few days later, she said for me to begin ironing be- 
cause the next day would be very busy. "No," I 
said, "I cannot work after ten o'clock." "You must 
obey me," she exclaimed. " If you wish I w T ill go 
away at once, but I cannot obey such an unjust com- 
mand." " If you do go away now I will not pay you 
for your past work." " Yery well, I will never sacrifice 
my health for money. However, I will make public 
your conduct for the benefit of others." I began to 
pack my things to go away at once, but her husband 
asked me to stay two days and promised he would 
pay me honestly. The children also begged me to 
stay and excuse their mother. 

The last morning I rose early, did all the morning 
work, and baked so that there would be enougli bread 
to eat for a week after I had gone. " Why did you 
bake bread ? " the lady said, coming into the kitchen* 



50 Tel Sono. 

" I do not want it, and you must pay me for it." I 
said I was very sorry, but would pay her seventy 
cents for the seven loaves. "You must pay one 
dollar for the time you spent," she said. I did so, and 
then I said, " I hope you will go to church now and 
get your heart in a better condition." A boy came 
from the Japanese Mission to help me carry my things. 
He looked on surprised when he saw me tying up 
the bread, and the lady watched my movements very 
closely. " You need not trouble about the bread," I 
said, " because it is mine." " Where are you going to 
take it?" she questioned. "To my pastor and 
friends. And now I want to thank you very much 
for the experience I have had with you. It has been 
good for me." 

On my way to the mission I bought some tea and 
a half-roll of butter. After I made the tea we sat 
down to enjoy the bread. "You must eat with a 
relish," I said, " for this is very dear bread." Then 
I told them all about what had happened, and we had 
a merry time together. 



Clear Shining of the Truth— Etc. 51 



CHAPTER IX. 

CLEAR SHINING OF THE TRUTH BAPTISM ORGANIZING 

OF A BENEVOLENT SOCIETY WORK AMONG THE FALLEN. 

As I went into these different homes, sixteen in 
all, I went with the purpose to learn all possible. One 
thing could not fail to impress me, and that was the 
difference between those homes where God was hon- 
ored and where he was not. 

After many talks with my pastor and kind Chris- 
tian ladies, and after studying the Bible diligently, I 
came to know Christ as my Saviour. God spoke to 
me, and I knew him to be the true God for whom I 
had searched so many years. I was very happy, and 
wanted to be baptized soon, and yet I wanted to do 
something for my Saviour before I was baptized. It 
was just at this time that my mother died in Japan, 
her last words being, " My work is not perfected, for 
I am only sixty years old ; but I must die." 

One Saturday night at the meeting my pastor said, 
" I wish all the brothers and sisters would, in Christ's 
name, collect money for the new mission. It is very 
near Christmas, and we want a new carpet for it." 
He gave us some cards on which to write the names 
of those who would subscribe. I took three, and at 
once began to collect money from my friends, going 



52 Tel Sono. 

without my luncheon that I might spend the hour 
that was free from lessons in collecting. 

From thirty-three ladies I obtained money, and the 
next Saturday gave it to Mr. Harris, wdio was much 
pleased with what he called my "gift to God." 

Then at the fair held for the purpose of paying off 
the mission's building debt I took a table of Japanese 
oranges and candy, making over fifty dollars in two 
evenings and one day. 

On Christmas day, 1889, I was baptized and joined 
the Japanese Mission, with the fixed purpose to devote 
my life to God's service. 

After studying three years in the private school I 
was graduated, 1889, and returned to San Francisco 
to do hard work again that I might earn money 
enough to attend some training-school for Christian 
workers. 

On my return the sad and destitute condition of 
many of my country sisters appealed to my heart. I 
determined to help them in some way, and in Janu- 
ary organized a benevolent society, its object being to 
help the poor and fallen among the Japanese women, 
to give food and care to the sick, to provide a way for 
children to be attended to while their mothers worked, 
and to lead the wicked into the path of righteousness. 
I put into this society all the money I had saved for 
my future work, ar/d secured over one hundred mem- 
bers for it. Shortly after the organizing of this soci- 
ety a poor Japanese woman who had been carrying 



Clear Shining of the Truth — Etc. 53 

on an evil work died. As she had no relations in 
this country the people among whom she lived took 
care of her while she was sick, but they had no place 
to bury her. Two men came to my office and wished 
me to speak to my pastor about allowing them to 
bury this woman in the Japanese Mission burial- 
grounds. I did so, and told him that I thought this 
a good opportunity to put into operation my plan of 
doing benevolent work among these most degraded 
and sunken people. He gladly granted their request, 
and then they asked him to conduct the funeral serv- 
ice and invited me to accompany him. We went to 
the undertaker's house, where the corpse was, and 
where was gathered quite a company of men and 
women. I looked carefully into their condition, and 
wben the service was over asked the manager to give 
em time to speak. Standing up, I said : " I am very 
glad to meet yon, my dear country sisters. Will you 
not all stand and look once more into the dead face of 
this our sister? What do you think about her face? 
Is it not sorrowful and thin? I can almost see her 
sorrow-stricken heart when her life went out. Per- 
haps she had been homesick and wished to see her 
parents and sisters and brothers, and died saying, 'I 
hope to see once more my dear native place and my 
mother and father.' Some ancient person has said, 
' When a person dies his last words are good.' When 
people are in good health, eat nice food, wear beauti- 
ful clothes, and are engaged in unclean business they 



54 Tel Song. 

never remember their native land, but selfishly go on 
getting more and more and wanting still more and 
more. They never turn to see their own hearts cov- 
ered up with wickedness, and do not prepare for 
death, although this is not our eternal home. When 
we die we must go back to the eternal home of our 
heavenly Father. This sister's mother, father, and 
relations are waiting for her and saying proudly to 
their friends every day : ' My daughter went to 
America, where she is getting a good education.' 
They do not know the sad condition in which she is ; 
they never think of evil. Then, sisters, what do you 
think will happen when this sad message reaches her 
parents? The poor mother will perhaps die with a 
broken heart. Sisters, you have parents. Do not 
forget them, do not forget your loved native land. 
Pass not through the narrow and unclean streets, but 
walk in the right, large road." The women sobbed 
aloud and the men hung their heads. "When I saw 
how they felt I said : " I trust that you are not en- 
gaged in wicked business, but if you find among your 
friends any one who does work that is not right please 
ask her to stop ; and if you find those who are poor 
or in any trouble come and tell me, that I may help 
them. I have established a societv for those who need 
help, and have a room all ready for them ; therefore 
please come to me at any time." Then we went to 
the burial-ground, returning to the mission about 
eight o'clock in the evening. That night all my Jap- 



Clear Shining of the Truth — Etc. 55 

anese Christian friends met in the pastor's sitting- 
room, and he told them about what I had said. " Your 
words were very good," he said, turning to me. 
"Everybody lias been afraid to speak against these 
wicked people, but you were not afraid." 

It is the custom in Japan when a person lias been 
dead seven days for the family to make a feast and 
invite all who attended the funeral. These people 
observed this custom, and invited me to the house of 
the chief man who had had charge of the woman's 
funeral. My friends feared to have me go ; but I 
said I believed the people trusted me and would do 
me no harm, and accordingly went with the guide 
who was sent for me. On reaching the place I was 
seated in a pleasant room and served w r ith a nice din- 
ner. When through my dinner they asked me to 
speak, which I gladly did. At eleven o'clock I went 
back to the mission, accompanied by one of the men. 
Three women had asked to become members of my 
society, and some of the men had said : " I will stop 
gambling and drinking wine ; therefore please put my 
name among your society members." About ten 
days after the chief man brought me five dollars. 
" We collected fifty-four dollars from among our com- 
pany for the funeral," he said. " After expenses 
were paid ten dollars remained, and I wish to give 
half to the Japanese Mission and half to your society 
if you will please receive this small gift." I did so, 
and he went away with a glad heart. 



56 Tel Sono. 

Nearly every day I was visited by these people, 
many becoming members of the society and attending 
the Sunday services at the mission. 

Thus was begun Christian work among fallen men 
and women. Every day I visited them, explained 
the Bible, and pleaded with them to do right. My 
friends begged me to stop, for they feared I would 
suffer harm ; but I did not fear. I knew my God 
was always with me. 

The work of the society is still carried on by Mrs. 
M. E. Harris, who is president. Many poor children 
are kept there, and when women and girls get out of 
work they stay there and take care of the children 
till they find a good place ; then others come to take 
their place. Thus the work goes on, constantly 
changing and growing. 



A Backslider Reclaimed. 57 



CHAPTER X. 

A BACKSLIDER RECLAIMED. 

One afternoon a Japanese young man came to my 
office and asked if I would listen to his story. On 
my answering that I would be pleased to do so he re- 
lated the following: U I came to San Francisco one 
and a half years ago, accompanied by about twenty-five 
Japanese. One of the number had been a Christian 
many years, and he preached to us every day on the 
voyage. His preaching made us feel very happy ; it 
comforted our hearts and made us forget our loneli- 
ness. Soon after we arrived here three of us believed 
on Christ, whom we had heard of during the voyage 
through this man's preaching, and we went to work 
to earn money for our education. Not long after we 
heard that our preacher had begun to drink and play 
cards. This made us feel very sad, and we begged 
him to stop, but he would not listen to our words. 
Then we determined on asking you to speak to him, 
and it is for that purpose that I come to you to-day." 
I said I feared he would not listen to me, as I was only a 
poor woman, but that I would try what I could do. 
That evening the young man accompanied me to the 
house of his friend and said to him, " Miss Sono wants 
to speak to you." " "Well," he answered, his thick voice 



58 Tel Sono. 

and red face betokening the drunkard. He looked 
intently at me for a long while, then remembered that 
he had heard me speak at the poor woman's funeral. 
I talked with him a long while, bat apparently with 
no good result, for he said, " Wine is a very good 
thing. I love it very much. Indeed, I must love it, 
because when I have trouble or am sad I can at once 
become happy by taking the dear wine. It makes me 
forget my poverty." I waited until he became more 
sober, then asked him if his parents were living. He 
said his mother, seventy years old, was living, and that 
she had no other children. Then I said, the tears 
running down my cheeks all the time I talked, 
" Who is taking care of her now ? It is your duty to 
care for her. She has loved you very deeply, more 
deeply than you can love her. You ought not to 
come so far away while she is living. She is think- 
ing of you every day, and waiting for you to return, for 
she longs to see your face before she dies. She is old 
and soon must die. Can you do her any good after 
she dies?" His face was downcast while I talked; 
then he said, " I thank you very much for your kind- 
ness to me. I will think seriously about what you 
have said. It is very late now, and you had better go 
back." When I reached the mission with my guide 
it was almost twelve o'clock. From that time the 
man began to attend regularly the Sunday meeting, 
and during the week to talk with many of his friends. 
The young man afterward thanked me for having 



A Backslider Reclaimed. 59 

spoken to his friend and causing him to stop the use 
of wine. When I left San Francisco the reformed 
man met me at the station to say good-bye. My last 
words to him were, " Please do not forget your mother, 
but go back while she lives." 



60 Tel Song. 



CHAPTER XI. 

AT CHICAGO ARTICLE FROM " UNION SIGNAL " PRES- 
ENT HOME. 

In May of 1889 my pastor advised me to attend 
the Chicago Training-School, of which Mrs. L. R. 
Meyer is principal. Accordingly, I made preparation 
to go, and on the eve of my leaving San Francisco 
was given a reception by my friends there. 

After my departure Mrs. L. M. Carver, President 
of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, of 
which I had become a member in April, kindly wrote 
an article to the Union Signal, descriptive of my 
work. Thinking it may be of interest, I insert it 
here : 

"June 13, 1889. 

" Dear Union Signal : Truly it can be said of us 
that we are living in a time when to be living is sub- 
lime. Scarcely had the echoes of admiration and 
wonder, of feting and parting for the lovely Ramabai 
died away, when, lo ! as in a panoramic tableau, an- 
other Oriental scene is presented to our view, and 
Japan, the progressive island queen of the Orient, is 
to be honored and blessed with a native Christian 
woman reformer, Miss Cassie Tel Sono. 

"Having been in comparative seclusion till near 



At Chicago — Etc. 61 

the time of leaving onr shores, we give a little of her 
history, which reads like a romance, and not only 
proves that ' truth is stranger than fiction,' but that 
' His word shall not return unto him void, but shall 
accomplish that whereunto it is sent.' Belonging to 
the better class in her own countrv, her father beino; 
an esha (physician), and herself a dai-gen (lawyer), a 
thing unheard of for a woman in Japan, she was 
in a position to see the degraded and almost help- 
less condition of the women and children, especially 
of the lower classes. 

" Catching glimpses through the missionary fami- 
lies of the favored lot of the wives and mothers of 
America, she determined to come to this country, 
learn the language, and become familiar with the 
customs of the people, then return to her native land 
and introduce a wide-spread reform. 

" She landed in San Francisco in January, 1886, 
and found her first home in the Chinese and Japanese 
Mission of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Rev. 
J. M. Masters being superintendent and pastor. In- 
tent on the one idea of learning the language, she fol- 
lowed the advice of the Rev. Meyama, who w r as then 
on this coast, and went into an exemplary Christian 
family to assist in household duties and the care of 
children. Though wholly unused to any kind of 
manual labor, she succeeded by indomitable persever- 
ance in making herself useful, and at the same time 
had in three months learned to read the First and 



62 Tel Sono. 

Second Headers quite satisfactorily, and had endeared 
herself to all. 

" About this time the ginglto (bank) in Japan, in 
which she had some money deposited for her future 
work of reform, having failed, she became greatly de- 
pressed, but, true to her heroic nature, she rose su- 
perior to all discouragements, and through the kind- 
ness of a noble Christian woman, Mrs. E. P. Keeney, 
who took her to her home and assisted her in every 
way, she was soon able to enter a young ladies' classi- 
cal school, where she remained till she was graduated. 
In the meantime she had embraced Christianity, was 
baptized on Christmas day at her earnest request, 
and became a member of the Japanese Methodist 
Episcopal Church, of which the Rev. M. C. Harris, 
formerly missionary to Japan, is pastor. 

" It was far from the purpose of Tel Sono to adopt 
the religion of this country. Her chief object was to 
avail herself of its educational and reformatory meth- 
ods. But she soon learned that Christianity was what 
had placed America so far in advance of Japan. 

" Now we see her trying to comprehend the great 
doctrine of justification by faith in a crucified and 
risen Saviour. Hitherto it had been her delight to 
argue with and confound the Japanese converts, which 
she could do so successfully that they avoided coming 
in contact with her sophistry. But, having once been 
convinced that Jesus was the only Saviour, she imme- 
diately set about trying to make amends for the past 



At Chicago — Etc. 63 

by becoming a missionary among lier people, begin- 
ning her work of reform wherever she saw an oppor- 
tunity of doing good. Having collected $100 for the 
relief of the needy and unfortunate among her coun- 
trymen, she established a benevolent society, which is 
already proving a great blessing to them. 

" Last, but not least, she became interested in the 
"Woman's Christian Temperance Union and united 
with the North San Francisco Union, Miss S. M. V. 
Cummings president. Through her instrumentality 
and that of our co-worker, Rev. M. C. Harris, we 
expect to organize a Woman's Christian Temper- 
ance Union among the Japanese. A few days after 
adopting the white ribbon an incident occurred that 
is worthy of relating, as it shows how omnipotent 
is example and how helpful is the ' bit of white 
ribbon.' 

" A lady who wished to do her honor invited her to 
a sumptuous farewell dinner; and, to tell it in her 
own language, she said : ' Every thing was very, very 
fine — soup and chickens, salad and cakes, and the lit- 
tle red wine-glasses to every plate. When they pour 
my wine I shake my head and say, " No, no, I drink 
no wine." The lady she say, "What you mean, Cas- 
sie? " (her American name.) "You not like wine?" 
Then I put my fingers on my white ribbon and say, 
a I belong to temperance society." Then all the glasses 
and wine go quick from the table.' This was told in 
a serio-comic manner that was laughable in the ex- 



64 Tel Sono. 

treme ; but a lump came up in our throat that would 
not down, for we thought of the thousands in this 
Christian land who were drinking wine to their ruin, 
and how few there are who, like this noble Japanese 
woman, 

11 ' Dare to stand alone, 
Dare to have a purpose firm, 
Dare to make it known.' 

"As she is now in Chicago to attend the school for 
deaconesses preparatory to the great mission to 
which she seems called of God, \ve trust these lines 
may be instrumental in helping her to a better knowl- 
edge of our Christian temperance work. 

" At a reception given her at the Japanese Mission 
just before her departure, at which, among others, one 
hundred Japanese students were present who vied in 
doing her honor, she seized the opportunity to impress 
them with the fact of the great evils from the use of 
intoxicants and narcotics, and requested your corre- 
spondent to speak to them of the dangers to which 
they were exposed in this great city. 

" Forgetful of self, her heart yearned over those 
whom she was about to leave, and, speaking to them in 
words of anxious tenderness, she made a deep and 
lasting impression on their minds so receptive to good 
influences. 

u She will be missed by her people and by many 
friends who have learned to love and esteem her for 
her sterling Christian virtues, so indispensable to any 



At Chicago — Etc. 05 

reformatory work. But we bid her God-speed on her 
mission of love and mercy, and pray that she may be 
spared to return to her native land to act a noble part 
in rescuing the perishing millions of that lovely ' Sun- 
rise Land.' " 

I remained in Chicago until November, 1889, when 
Mrs. Meyer sent me to the Missionary Training Insti- 
tute in Brooklyn, N". Y., that I might have better ad- 
vantages for studying the English branches. This 
school, in which I am now studying, and of which 
Mrs. L. D. Osborn is principal, is indeed a blessed and 
pleasant home. I am perfectly satisfied here, and have 
every opportunity of gaining a rich Christian experi- 
ence. The light of God shines into the darkness of 
my heart as I listen to Mrs. Osborn's good words of 
counsel. All the students love me and show special 
kindness to the stranger in their midst. 

As there are no charges for board or tuition, I am 
free from all financial embarrassment. Only those who 
have known what it is to have a great work upon their 
hearts and no means to prepare for the accomplish- 
ing of that work can know the joy of finding such a 
haven as this. 

My gratitude to my heavenly Father and to Mrs. 
Osborn is unbounded. Never, never can I be un- 
mindful of the love that lias been shown me in this 
school and the blessings I have received here. 

My plan for the future is to establish a free 



66 Tel Sono. 

Christian school in my native place, where there 
are no Christians, no churches, no missionary 
schools. Already the voices from over the ocean Are 
calling, " Come back quickly ! Come and lead us 
into a better and a happier life." 

I long to return that I may live and work and 
die for my heathen sisters. God has led me to 
America, he has blessed me with his own salvation, 
has provided for the needs of my body and soul ; and 
now he bids me go back to the home-land and there 
make known his law. 

Christian sisters, you can promote the accomplish- 
ing of my purpose. Those whom I seek to help, 
those who are being held in slavery and ignorance, 
and whom I long to liberate, are your sisters too, for 
God "hath made of one blood all nations of men." 
"When you come up before the judgment-throne and 
meet those throngs for whom I plead, your reward 
will be the greater if among them there are those 
whom you have helped to save ; and the less if there 
are those whom you might have helped to save but 
did not, and who, therefore, must hear the awful 
word, " Depart ! " 

Do to-day what you will wish you had done when 
time with its opportunities is past. For Jesus' sake, 
withhold not your prayers, your sympathy, your aid ! 

THE END. 



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